Jurisdiction England and Wales Agency executive Sarah Richards | Minister responsible Gavin Barwell | |
Headquarters Temple Quay, Bristol; Cathays Park, Cardiff for Wales Employees 700 including 300 Planning Inspectors Website www.gov.uk/government/organisations/planning-inspectorate | ||
The Planning Inspectorate for England and Wales (sometimes referred to as PINS) (Welsh: Yr Arolygiaeth Gynllunio) is an executive agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government of the United Kingdom Government. It is responsible for determining final outcomes of town planning and enforcement appeals and public examination of local development plans. It also deals with a wide variety of other planning-related casework including planning appeals - about, for instance, shop signs and advertisement displays on hoardings, bus shelters etc., and cases on which Inspectors report to the Secretary of State concerned on planning applications requiring ministerial approval.
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History
The Planning Inspectorate traces its roots back to 1909 and the birth of the planning system in the UK. The Housing and Town Planning Act received Royal Assent in December 1909 and town planning as we know it today was established. This was followed by the Housing and Town Planning Act 1919, the Town Planning Act 1925 and the Town and Country Planning Acts of 1932, 1947 and 1990 amongst others. John Burns (1858-1943) was the first member of the working class to become a government Minister – President of the Local Government Board. He was responsible for the 1909 Housing Act, and the appointment of Thomas Adams (1871-1940) as Town Planning Assistant – a precursor to the current role of Chief Planning Inspector.
Structure
The Inspectorate is headquartered in Bristol, with a separate office in Cardiff dealing with planning appeals in Wales. The Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters' Unit in Scotland and the Planning Appeals Commission in Northern Ireland are the equivalent institutions for those countries.
The Inspectorate employs salaried staff and also contracts non-salaried Inspectors (NSIs).
Authority and powers
Planning inspectors, appointed by the Secretary of State and said 'to stand in the shoes of the Secretary of State', are given power by Schedule 6 to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (Determination of Appeals by Appointed Persons) (Prescribed Classes) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/420) to determine the appeals which are mostly against refusals of local planning authorities to grant planning permission. Inspectors are selected on the basis of their particularly high levels of competence and experience within the planning industry. They are required to work independently and are individually accountable for their decisions. As such, it is a highly responsible role.
Annual report 2015/16
Reception
The planning system including the role of the Inspectorate has been criticised by journalists and MPs, including Peter Wilby and Kris Hopkins.